


Brotherhood Bonds

by Thedoctorsblogger



Series: Another Side of Malcolm Tucker Verse [2]
Category: The Thick Of It
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, First Meetings, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-03-26 02:15:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13847955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thedoctorsblogger/pseuds/Thedoctorsblogger
Summary: Prequel to another side of Malcolm Tucker. This is how Malcolm and Jamie met and a bit of their past together.





	1. The Boy Down the Street

**Author's Note:**

> This starts off when Malcolm was around 10 or 11 and it progresses through their life.  
> I should probably put a warning that there are mentions of domestic violence

It was cold and wet. Looking back, Malcolm didn't know why he had decided to walk to the shops in the middle of March. Actually, Malcolm did know and he cursed himself for it.

Malcolm had a soft spot for Sci-fi. He always had. Every time he got his allowance, the first thing he spent it on as a good Sci-fi book. He had just got his allowance and that was why Malcolm was walking to the shops in the cold.

He got to the shop just in time before the shop and checked out just before it closed. Malcolm couldn’t believe that it was already so late. He knew that he would have to hurry home to avoid the wrath of his father.

Malcolm was almost home and consumed in his mind on what would happen in his new book when he heard sniffling in an alleyway next to him. He cautiously went to investigate. There, In the Alley was a small boy, rolled up into a ball crying to himself. Malcolm crouched next to the boy.

“Hey, I’m Malcolm, What’s your name?” The boy looked up and Malcolm recognized him as the boy that lived down the street.

“I’m Jamie.” He sheepishly replied.

“Jamie, you live just around here, don’t you?” Jamie nodded. “I live down the street from you,”

Malcolm continued to gain the boys trust. “You want to tell me what’s wrong?” Jamie shook his head violently. “You know what, my mum’s a whiz at making me feel better, why don’t we go back to my house and we can see what she can do for you eh?” Jamie hesitated but nodded again. Malcolm stood up and helped Jamie to his feet. It was then that he noticed that the younger boy had only a short-sleeved shirt in, and the kid was shivering worse than a scared dog.  
Malcolm took off his own coat and put it around the freezing boy’s shoulders. Malcolm himself was a small boy and the coat that he was wearing was a hand-me-down that was too big on him, but Jamie was practically swimming in the fabric.

Malcolm put an arm around the small boy and led him the two blocks to his house.

Upon entering the house, Malcolm could smell what his mum was cooking in the kitchen. She yelled out to him when she heard the door close. “Right, Mal, your da just phoned and he is going to be late again tonight. She walked out into the main room where she saw Malcolm before she saw the small boy next to him “Malcolm Francis Tucker, If you didn't wear your coat outside, you can kiss my care goodbye when you get sick and...” she’s trailed off when she saw Jamie. “You’re the McDonald boy, Right?” Jamie nodded. Malcolm’s mum could see the upset on the boys face. “Well, come into the kitchen Dear, We’ll get you right fixed up.” She took the coat from the boy and silently marveled at how small he really was. “We’ll get you a nice snack.” She looked at Malcolm.

“Right, Malc, go finish your coursework, I’ll give a shout when supper is ready.” 

Malcolm was about to argue when he saw the ‘we’ll talk about this later’ look on her face. 

From his room, Malcolm could hear faint hints of voices, but he was nowhere near being able to understand what they were saying.

Eventually, he heard an unmistakable giggle from the other room that had to have come from Jamie. Shortly after that, Malcolm heard his mum call him.  
He entered the room and Jamie was smiling.

“Mal, you take wee Jamie here and go wash your hands and we’ll eat” she turned a full 360 before she added “oh, grab your sister as well, will you”

Supper was filled with chatter. Jamie was a funny kid, and he had a lot of fun making Malcolm’s younger sister, Nancy laugh.

Too soon after Supper, and much to the dislike of Jean, it was time for Jamie to go home. She fetched him from Malcolm’s bedroom where they were avidly discussing the finer points of their favorite TV show. Malcolm had been ecstatic to find out that Jamie was a fan of Science fiction as well. Jean insisted on walking the boy home. Malcolm insisted on walking with them, still discussing the show. 

Jamie’s mum answered the door when Jean rang. There was a bandage on her arm and bruises on her face. She hugged him tight to her before she shook Jean’s hand and introduced herself as Carole. She thanked her for looking after her Jamie. He had apparently run off earlier in the day when his father had come home. Carol didn’t say much more than that but, what Jamie had told her along with the bandages; Jean didn’t have to think too much to figure out what else had happened. 

Later that night at the Tucker household, Jean cried herself to sleep. She cried for the little boy whose father was a drunk and whose father beat his mother. She prayed that night that the boy would never fall prey to his father’s hand. 

It pleased Jean to no end when Jamie was with Malcolm after school the next day. It became a regular thing as well. Every day, Malcolm would set off to school with his little sister and they picked up Jamie on the way. When they walked home, Jamie was right there with them until he went back home later on in the night. Soon enough, it was a rarity to see one boy without the other. The two were absolutely inseparable. Jamie also started to call Jean mum as well. Jean would never forget the look of terror on the boys face when he did it. It took a hearty laugh from Nancy for Jamie to even look up where his head was hidden in his arms. A hug, and much to Jamie’s dismay, a kiss, was given by Jean and to hear mum in reference to Jean was regularity as well.

Jean was happy to know that the wee boy was safe when he was with Malcolm. Even Carole, though she would never say it aloud, was glad that Jamie wasn’t around anymore when his father got home when Jamie usually got home his father was already passed out. 

Sadly, fights also became a regularity. Malcolm had become like an elder brother to wee Jamie, and even then his loyalty was absolute. He would defend the boy to his last breath if it came to it. Jean would never forget the pride and anger she felt the first day that Malcolm had come home with a black eye. Malcolm had walked through the door holding a bloody tissue to his nose. He told his mum the story of one of the other boys talking about ‘that McDonald boy, the poof whose mum was just begging to be hit’ After hearing that, Jean promptly told her son that violence wasn’t the answer and then asked him if he had hit them hard enough that ‘they wouldn’t be able to talk anymore shite like that without pulling their heeds out of their arses first.’

This was just the first time that Jean would feel that kind of pride in her son.


	2. Spaceboys

Jamie was always a quiet child in public. Many people thought that was why he and Malcolm got on so well. What people didn’t know however was: in private, the roles were quite reversed. 

 

In public, Malcolm was chatting away wildly and Jamie was nodding and smiling, absorbing every word that Malcolm said. In private, Jamie was an animated child, when he got really excited, his arms would wave wildly and his eyes just got brighter and brighter. Malcolm would listen and talk right along- usually just as excited as Jamie at whatever they were talking about. 

 

There was one particular day, however, that both children were quite animated in public. The date was the 21st of July 1969. The reason for this excitement came the night before with the moon landing. Jamie had spent the night in the Tucker household and both boys were allowed to stay up to see the television when Mr. Neil Armstrong made history and became the first man on the moon, saying those famous words. This of course came with the disgruntlement of Nancy who wanted to stay up late just like her older brother and his friend. 

 

“One small step for man!” Jamie exclaimed as he and Malcolm walked side by side into town. 

 

“And one giant leap for mankind!” Malcolm finished his statement as both boys pretended to hop like they were in a zero gravity space themselves. 

 

Jean looked back with fondness at her two boys playing together, the sparkle in her eyes wold show even the most clueless of people just how much she loved her two boys.   
Nancy, who was still not happy about having to go to sleep the night before scowled at the two boys, but as soon as they got into the town she was trying to hang with the boys again. 

 

The night before, both boys wrote a letter to NASA telling them just how much they wanted to be an astronaut now that they had seen the moon on TV. Jean instructed the two to post their letters and to take Nancy to the sweet shop while they waited for her to finish with the shopping. 

 

“Mallie?” Nancy asked on the way home, 

 

“Yes Nance?”

 

“Why did you get to stay up last night?”

 

“Well, I’m older than you. I’m eleven”

 

“But Jamie isn’t eleven, why did he get to stay up?” 

 

“Jamie is older than you too. He’s eight, you’re only six.”

 

“But that’s only two years, that’s not fair!” Nance exclaimed quite loudly. People in the shop looked over at the three children. Malcolm, ever the knack for pacifying potentially explosive situations got down on his knee so that he was face to face with his little sister. 

 

“Nance, how about I give you my sweet money because you didn’t get to stay up last night. And Next time, I’ll ask Mum to let you stay up too. How does that sound?”

 

Nancy agreed and a good humor came upon all three children again. They found their mother again not much later with the shopping and aspect all treat for the three. 

 

“Thanks, Jean, for the sweets I mean.” Jamie whispered in her ear before they took off for home

 

“Really. Son there’s no need to thank me. Any time.” Jean ruffled the Boys hair before sending him to get Malcolm to help carry what she had bought. 

 

On days like this Jean wished more than anything that Jamie was really hers and that he didn’t have to go back to his own home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it’s been forever but I’m back I think. Comments prompts kudos always welcome and as always thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> As always, Thank you for reading. Comments and prompts wanted and appreciated.


End file.
